Cranberry & Apple Brie

Need an easy & delicious appetizer for the Holiday Season?
Look no further... This is one of my go-to Holiday appetizers!
I got this recipe from a friend over 15 years ago and I make it every December...sometimes several times the month for various parties.

Here is what you need:

- Brie Wedge (I love the Triple Cream Brie from Trader Joe's)

- 2 Granny Smith Apples, chopped & diced

- 2/3 cup dried cranberries

- 2/3 cup diced pecans

- 1 stick of butter, melted

-1/3 cup  white sugar

-1/3 cup brown sugar
-Serve with Triscuits

Directions:

I do all of this in the microwave because it's easier & faster, feel free to use the stove top if you prefer.

Melt the stick of butter.

Then, add the sugars & stir together.

Microwave for 30 seconds & stir.

Chop & dice your granny smith apples.

Add diced apples, chopped pecans & dried cranberries to mixture & stir.

Pour the mixture over the wedge of Brie Cheese:

Sometimes I will put it in mircowave for 10 seconds so that Brie is extra soft & warm. 

Serve with Triscuit crackers:

I made this last week for a group of my girlfriends. We were supposed to go to the Justin Timberlake concert, but it was postponed because he has a bruised vocal chord. We all had drinks & dinner that night anyways and I brought this as an appetizer. My friends went nuts over it and wanted the recipe, so I knew I needed to blog it for you guys also :)

If you prep this ahead of time, just add a few squirts of lemon juice to the mixture so the apples don't turn brown.

This is a true crowd pleaser. I make this during the holiday season because it's so festive.

It's SO easy to make and it's delicious! 

Enjoy!!!

Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

I don't know about you, but I LOVE sugar cookies. 

But.....I don't love the hassle of waiting for the dough to chill, then rolling out the dough & dealing with cookie cutters. And, whenever I make sugar cookies, I always want them to be thicker & chewier.

Enter Sugar Cookie Bars.

I've been working on this recipe for a bit with some trial and error and they have finally been perfected....thick, chewy, soft & delicious.

I'm so excited to share this recipe with you guys....especially because today is National Cookie Day!

 Here is what you need:

 For the bars:

• 1 stick of butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (if you don't like almond extract, leave it out, but the almond extract adds a wonderful touch)
• 1 and 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For the frosting:

• 1 stick of butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons milk
  
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Food coloring
• Sprinkles

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream the softened butter for about 1 minute on medium speed. When it's smooth,  add the sugar on medium speed. Beat in egg, egg yolk, almond & vanilla.  

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder & baking soda. 

Slowly add the dry ingredient & mix until combined:

 Line a 9x9 pan with foli & spray with cooking spray:

 Press the dough evenly into the pan:

 Bake in a 350 oven for 20 minutes...DO NOT OVERBAKE!

 When the dough is cooled, lift it out of the pan:

 Now it's time to make the frosting.

Beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about  1 minute. Add powdered sugar, milk, salt and vanilla extract & mix until combined. Mix in food coloring (I added 2 drops of green)

 *Add more powdered sugar if frosting is too thin or more milk if frosting is too thick*

 Then, spread onto cookie:

 Add sprinkles....sprinkles make everything better :)

 Cut into bars. This recipe made 16 bars:

 I made these for our court Holiday Party, so I wanted them to look "pretty".

 I trimmed the edges off the bars & when I cut them, I would wipe my knife with a paper towel between each cut so that the frosting wouldn't get messy.

 These bars could be made anytime of year....Valentine's Day, Easter, Birthdays, Halloween.

 Just change the frosting color & sprinkles to match the holiday/event.

 These are a big hit and SO much easier to make than regular sugar cookies.

Plus, I think they taste better because they are thick & chewy (like brownies) but in sugar cookie form.

If you need more Christmas Cookie or Treat ideas, here are some of our favorites:

Candy Cane Kisses {Recipe HERE}

Fudge {Recipe HERE} 

Ultimate Ginger Cookie {Recipe HERE} 

Christmas Monster Cookies {Recipe HERE}

Cranberry Cookie Bars {Recipe HERE} 

Snickerdoodles {Recipe HERE} 

 Peanut Butter Blossoms {Recipe HERE}

 Christmas Sprinkle Sugar Cookies {Recipe HERE}

Preztel Hugs {Recipe HERE}

 Ritzies {Recipe HERE} 

 Christmas Cookies in a Jar (and free printable) 

Get the instructions & printable {HERE}

What is your favorite Christmas cookie?

Mine are the Candy Cane Kisses and the Peanut Butter Ritzies :)

But, I also really love these Sugar Cookie Bars!

Enjoy!

Brussels Spouts Gratin

When I was a kid, you couldn't pay me to eat Brussels Sprouts.

But as an adult? I LOVE them.

The key to making Brussels is roasting them. 

They taste even better when roasted and smothered in cheese, like this when they are made as a gratin. 

Here is what you need:

- 2 lbs of Brussels Sprouts, trimmed & sliced in half
- 1 cup White Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1/2 shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 T butter
- 2 T minced garlic
- Sea Salt, Pepper & Olive Oil to coat

Directions:
Cut brussels sprouts in half and trim the ends:

Place them in a gallon ziplock bag. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Shake to coat.

Put brussels on a cookie sheet and roast for 18 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

While the brussels are roasting, its time to make the cheesy sauce! 

Add minced garlic & 2 T of butter to a pan.

 Add the flour & whisk:

 Whisk together on low heat:

 Then, add the milk and keep whisking it.

Shred your white cheddar cheese:

 Add the shredded white cheddar cheese and both types of Parmesan cheese.

 Stir until all melted and remove from heat:

Once your brussels are done roasting, add them to an 8x8 baking dish:

 Add the cheese mixture on top:

Then stir it up to coat the brussels:

Sprinkle more Parmesan on top:

Bake at 400 for 20 more minutes until the top is brown.

 Let cool for 5-10 minutes & then serve.

This Brussels Sprouts Gratin is so yummy, it add a new level to roasted Brussels Sprouts.

 If you want to put them on an even higher level, add some chopped bacon to the gratin!

These Brussels Spouts would be a perfect side side for Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas or just because!

Enjoy!